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sedgewren's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A drily humorous yet powerful book, Kim Jiyoung Born 1982 describes the all too familiar misogyny that occurs in South Korea but is reflected across the world.
What made this book even more powerful and tragic is how Jiyoung isn't even a raging feminist - she accepts and tries to work within the patriarchal system, but is trodden underfoot. One can't help but feel that her madness is her mind's way of releasing and fighting back against the system.
I really enjoyed reading it - at many points throughout the book, I felt cathartically angry. I can see that the situations might happen to me or to people I know - and I probably would have dealt with it in a similar manner to Jiyoung. This book has helped me understand the microaggressions (and aggressions!) that unfortunately, far too many women experience.
What made this book even more powerful and tragic is how Jiyoung isn't even a raging feminist - she accepts and tries to work within the patriarchal system, but is trodden underfoot. One can't help but feel that her madness is her mind's way of releasing and fighting back against the system.
I really enjoyed reading it - at many points throughout the book, I felt cathartically angry. I can see that the situations might happen to me or to people I know - and I probably would have dealt with it in a similar manner to Jiyoung. This book has helped me understand the microaggressions (and aggressions!) that unfortunately, far too many women experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Mental illness
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Miscarriage and Abortion
annabend's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book ignited an immediate flash of anger in me — both on behalf of Jiyoung and on behalf of myself. You don't need to be a South Korean woman to instantly recognize the experiences Jiyoung goes through; it's enough to be a woman anywhere in the world.
The book taught me the particular systemic ways South Korean society marginalizes women in all areas of their lives, but it also reminded me of all the small, many ways North American societies cut into women. The author does a good job at showing that tension between wanting to be a strong and modern woman, raise strong and modern daughters, and then having to choose whether to raise hell or sacrifice to help your family. Do you become loud and unlikeable, or do you stay quiet, cloaked under the guise of being a "good girl"? Do you gamble your happiness on being the first woman or the second? As this book shows us, you won't really win with either choice.
Cho Nam-Joo did a phenomenal job at showing how the smallest life decisions compound into something you never intended for yourself as a woman — something you thought you were smart enough, beautiful enough, successful enough to overcome. I commend her for challenging the myth of the good girl by writing a character who internalized so much of everyone else's bullshit that she lost her voice. She needs other people to speak for her — that's why the words of other women, perhaps women stronger than her, keep coming out of her mouth to protect her. That tiny, strange speculative element was one of the best parts of the book! It's the thing that made me connect with Jiyoung from the beginning.
The clinical, sparse writing style was a surprise to me at first, but it worked so well. You would think it would lull you into a sense of dullness, like reading a boring report, but it's actually somehow more cutting. The unadorned facts somehow sting more. I was also intrigued by the scenes with all the other women in Jiyoung's life who comment on the inequality or try to do something about it. Those moments stood out as lively scenes against the simple, cold writing style. It was like a chorus of women trying to speak over all the noise of the statistics, unhelpful in-laws, insensitive and even sympathetic men.
While reading, I was curious about who the narrator was. What kind of person is documenting this story? How are they choosing which details to include? What motivates them to cite certain statistics in the footnotes but not others? When you find out, it's even more devastating.
This book is tragically real. It might as well be nonfiction. It's the most honest thing I've read all year. Even if I am breathing fires of rage after finishing it.
And, of course, the bitter joke of that last chapter is that the people who needed to understand this book the most (likely the ones who were SO upset with it in South Korea and elsewhere) didn't really "get" it after all ...
The book taught me the particular systemic ways South Korean society marginalizes women in all areas of their lives, but it also reminded me of all the small, many ways North American societies cut into women. The author does a good job at showing that tension between wanting to be a strong and modern woman, raise strong and modern daughters, and then having to choose whether to raise hell or sacrifice to help your family. Do you become loud and unlikeable, or do you stay quiet, cloaked under the guise of being a "good girl"? Do you gamble your happiness on being the first woman or the second? As this book shows us, you won't really win with either choice.
Cho Nam-Joo did a phenomenal job at showing how the smallest life decisions compound into something you never intended for yourself as a woman — something you thought you were smart enough, beautiful enough, successful enough to overcome. I commend her for challenging the myth of the good girl by writing a character who internalized so much of everyone else's bullshit that she lost her voice. She needs other people to speak for her — that's why the words of other women, perhaps women stronger than her, keep coming out of her mouth to protect her. That tiny, strange speculative element was one of the best parts of the book! It's the thing that made me connect with Jiyoung from the beginning.
The clinical, sparse writing style was a surprise to me at first, but it worked so well. You would think it would lull you into a sense of dullness, like reading a boring report, but it's actually somehow more cutting. The unadorned facts somehow sting more. I was also intrigued by the scenes with all the other women in Jiyoung's life who comment on the inequality or try to do something about it. Those moments stood out as lively scenes against the simple, cold writing style. It was like a chorus of women trying to speak over all the noise of the statistics, unhelpful in-laws, insensitive and even sympathetic men.
While reading, I was curious about who the narrator was. What kind of person is documenting this story? How are they choosing which details to include? What motivates them to cite certain statistics in the footnotes but not others? When you find out, it's even more devastating.
This book is tragically real. It might as well be nonfiction. It's the most honest thing I've read all year. Even if I am breathing fires of rage after finishing it.
And, of course, the bitter joke of that last chapter is that the people who needed to understand this book the most (likely the ones who were SO upset with it in South Korea and elsewhere) didn't really "get" it after all ...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Miscarriage
aqtbenz's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage
lish_e's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
It’s sad that this book is so relatable. Also, it’s weird to rate this book, as the topics and stories are so real.
The author uses statistics with citations to proof her point and to show, that the story of Kim Jiyoung isn’t uncommon. A lot of the experiences the main character has aren’t specific to South Korea and happen to a lot of women around the world. When I talked about this book, sadly a lot of women could relate and experienced something similar.
A hard-hitting book that I highly recommend.
The author uses statistics with citations to proof her point and to show, that the story of Kim Jiyoung isn’t uncommon. A lot of the experiences the main character has aren’t specific to South Korea and happen to a lot of women around the world. When I talked about this book, sadly a lot of women could relate and experienced something similar.
A hard-hitting book that I highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Mental illness, Stalking, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Abortion, Medical content, Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Bullying
Minor: Miscarriage, Vomit, and Suicide attempt
bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Mental illness, and Body shaming
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
Minor: Abortion and Miscarriage
thebookfestclub's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Kim Jiyoung is the most common name for South Korean women born in the 1980s. Thus, she is supposed to represent every Korean woman as it highlights through this novel gender inequality in Korea. The book does teach us a lot about Korea including a lot of troubling statistics supported by references. However, the issues that Korean women facing are unfortunately universal. From the pay gap to sexual harassment from the lack of support for working parents to the unequal division of domestic work. Kim Jiyoung is all of us.
Fair warning: the writing is engaging and you will probably read this one in one setting. A must read, plain and simple.
Fair warning: the writing is engaging and you will probably read this one in one setting. A must read, plain and simple.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Abortion and Miscarriage
words_and_coffee's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Mental illness, Abortion, Sexual assault, and Stalking
Minor: Miscarriage, Suicide, and Body shaming
santreads's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Small, lovely and frustrating read. I liked how the author put all these facts in front of us while also telling a story of a seemingly real person.
It's also funny how experiences can be so similar even though geographies are so different. I really found myself nodding along to a lot of the things Kim Jiyoung was going through.
It's also funny how experiences can be so similar even though geographies are so different. I really found myself nodding along to a lot of the things Kim Jiyoung was going through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Abortion and Miscarriage
Minor: Stalking
nurra's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexual assault
Minor: Miscarriage
vlntnmz's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Abortion and Miscarriage